Vanessa is a sought-after and nationally-recognized leading IP litigation partner and strategist who represents clients across industries, including the biopharma, biotechnology, chemical, medical devices and tech sectors. Her experience encompasses achieving successful results in high-stakes IP litigations for large global innovators in complex patent litigations and appeals ―including Hatch-Waxman and biologics disputes, IPRs, arbitrations, licensing controversies, strategic IP assessment, trade secret misappropriation, and counseling.
Vanessa has represented clients with blockbuster products worth multibillion dollars in sales, and has been named as counsel of record in submitting amicus briefs to the Supreme Court of the United States on behalf of world-class leading academic research institutions, such as St. Jude's Children's Hospital, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Temple Health. Experienced in leading teams, she helped lead a team to win the Hatch-Waxman Impact Case of the Year (LMG Life Sciences). Vanessa’s experience includes work done for leading Fortune 500 and 1000 companies, bet-the-company innovators, and academic research institutions.
Vanessa was named to Lawdragon’s 2025 list of 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers, recognized as one of the finalists for North American Patent Lawyer of the Year by IFLR’s Women in Business Law 2025 Awards, and honored by LMG Life Sciences. She has been named one of the top 100 Women Leaders of New York and featured by IAM Patent 1000 as one of the World’s Leading IP Strategists for her “exceptional skill sets and profound insights.” Vanessa was also recognized as a 2025 Client Service All-Star for setting the gold standard for client service by BTI Consulting Group surveying general counsel who noted: “Vanessa delivers results with responsiveness and care.”
Vanessa serves as the Vice President and Board Member for Cornell Law School’s Alumni Executive Board and a Board Member of Womankind. Previously, she served on IPO’s Amicus Briefing Committee.
Prior to joining Mintz, Vanessa was a partner in the Intellectual Property Litigation group of a global law firm. Vanessa also co-chaired the firm’s Asian Affinity Committee.
Vanessa graduated from MIT and Cornell Law. Prior to law, Vanessa worked on the Human Genome Project at MIT’s Whitehead Institute and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories, conducting cancer research. At MIT, she was admitted to the Sigma Xi honor society.
Experience
- Represented Alexion Pharmaceuticals in several patent litigation disputes before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board involving Soliris®, a multibillion-dollar biologic product.
- Represented Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in connection with a patent litigation involving CAR-T–related biotech for cancer immunotherapy, as well as BMS's other cancer therapies.
- Represented Galderma in several patent litigations and IPRs involving Oracea®, a product for rosacea with over a billion dollars in sales.
- Represented GW Pharma / Jazz Pharma in a complex international litigation and arbitration contract dispute concerning a patent licensing agreement, which involved Epidiolex®, a cannabidiol for Dravet and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS).
- Represented Sword Health in a patent dispute involving digital musculoskeletal therapy.
- Represented Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. in a patent litigation involving Brovana®, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease drug product.
- Represented Shire LLC and Supernus Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in a patent litigation involving Intuniv®, a treatment for ADHD.
- Represented Eisai Co., Ltd. in a patent litigation involving Banzel®, an antiepileptic drug product.
- Represented AstraZeneca in a patent litigation involving Seroquel®, an antipsychotic drug product.
- Represented Gilead Sciences in a patent litigation involving Truvada®, an anti-HIV-1 drug product.
- Represented Novartis Pharmaceuticals in a patent litigation involving Trileptal®, a product for the treatment of partial seizures.
- Represented UCB and Celltech Pharmaceuticals in a patent litigation involving Metadate CD®, an ADHD drug product.
News & Press
Three Mintz Attorneys Named 2025 BTI Client Service All-Stars
August 29, 2025
Mintz Members Daniel Bleck, Poonam Patidar, and Vanessa Yen have been named to BTI Consulting Group’s 2025 Client Service All-Star list. This recognition celebrates attorneys who consistently deliver the highest tier of client service.
Lawdragon named Mintz Member Vanessa Yen to its 2025 list of "The Inaugural 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers." Those honored “contribute to one of the most robust sectors of law practice, one which boasts remarkable expertise at many of the nation’s leading firms.”
Mintz IP Practice Recognized in 2025 IAM Patent 1000
June 02, 2025
Mintz’s Intellectual Property (IP) Practice earned national recognition in the 2025 edition of IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners. The guide recognized Mintz with four firm-wide rankings and 15 individual attorney recommendations, including a gold ranking for Michael T. Renaud, who leads Mintz’s IP practice.
Vanessa Yen Named Finalist for North America Patent Lawyer of the Year in Women in Business Law Awards 2025
May 21, 2025
Mintz Member Vanessa Yen has been named a finalist for North America Patent Lawyer of the Year in the 2025 Women in Business Law Awards, presented by International Financial Law Review. These prestigious awards recognize leading women lawyers who are breaking new ground in their practice areas and championing gender diversity in the legal profession.
Biotech Cos. Keep Dancing Despite Purple Book Disclosures
October 22, 2024
Vanessa Yen was quoted by Law360 in an article about how biotech companies engage in exchanging patent information with each other.
Mintz IP Practice Recognized in 2024 IAM Patent 1000
June 18, 2024
Our Intellectual Property Practice earned national recognition in the 2024 edition of IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners. The guide recognized Mintz with four firm-wide rankings and 14 individual attorney recommendations, including a gold ranking for Intellectual Property Chair Michael Renaud.
Trade Secrets Strategies in Early-Stage R&D
June 18, 2024
Mintz Announces Record Member Growth in 2023
December 22, 2023
Mintz proudly announced the election of 13 attorneys to Members and the addition of a record-setting 22 new lateral Members in 2023, with 11 Partners in the newly opened Toronto office. This diverse group strengthens Mintz’s core areas, spanning Commercial and IP Litigation, Life Sciences, Tech, Private Equity, and Energy & Sustainability. The elevated Members and new lateral additions bring invaluable expertise to help clients navigate complex legal landscapes.
BOSTON – Y. Jenny Chen, PhD has joined Mintz as a Member in the firm’s highly-regarded Intellectual Property (IP) practice, adding further expertise and depth to the firm’s life sciences offering.
Mintz Bolsters IP And Finance Benches With Two New Partners
September 27, 2023
Law360 detailed the arrival of Debt Financing Partner Alex North and Intellectual Property Member Vanessa Yen to Mintz's Toronto and New York offices, respectively.
Mintz Life Sciences Practice Boosted By Addition Of IP Litigator
September 25, 2023
NEW YORK – Mintz continues to enhance its market-leading Life Sciences practice with the addition of Intellectual Property litigator Vanessa Yen.
Events & Speaking
ACI Paragraph IV Disputes
ACI Conference Institute - Hatch-Waxman Litigation
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place - Chicago
Holistic Litigation Strategies for Strengthening or Defeating a Written Description Invalidity Defense
American Conference Institute’s 17th Annual Paragraph IV Conference
New York, NY
Managing Diverse IP Teams
American Conference Institute’s 16th Annual Paragraph IV Conference
New York, NY
Publications
- Co-author, “Purple Book Patent Listing Under Biological Product Patent Transparency Act: What is Required and What to Expect?” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal (September 2021)
- Co-author, “Challenging Therapeutics IP After Fed. Circ. Drink Can Ruling,” Law 360 (February 2021)
- Co-author, “The Federal Circuit’s Ball Metal Decision Raises Important Considerations for Pharma and Biologics Patents,” JDSupra (January 2021)
- Co-author, “Federal Circuit Continues Trend of Finding Diagnostic Inventions to be Patent-Ineligible,” Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, (February 2020)
Recognition & Awards
BTI Consulting Group: Client Service All-Star (2025)
IAM Patent 1000: World's Leading Patent Professionals – Litigation (2025)
Lawdragon 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers (2025)
North America Patent Lawyer of the Year Finalist, Women in Business Law Awards, International Financial Law Review (2025)
New York Super Lawyers: Intellectual Property Litigation
Women We Admire, Top 100 Women Leaders of New York
LMG Life Sciences, US Rising Star in Intellectual Property (2021)
Recognized by the Financial Times for handling one of the Top Litigation Disputes of 2019
Recognized by LMG Life Sciences for a patent litigation victory in the Hatch-Waxman Impact Case of the Year (2019)
New York Super Lawyers: Rising Star – Intellectual Property Litigation (2014 – 2019)
New York Super Lawyers: Top Women Attorneys in New York Metro (2014 – 2018)
Involvement
- Board Member, Womankind
- Appointed Member, Amicus Briefing Committee of the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO)
- National Association of Women Lawyers
- Chiefs in Intellectual Property (ChIPs)
- National Asian Pacific American Bar Association
- Asian American Bar Association of New York
- Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Silicon Valley
- Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund
- Board Member, Cornell Law School Alumni Executive Board
Recent Insights
Mintz Members Daniel Bleck, Poonam Patidar, and Vanessa Yen have been named to BTI Consulting Group’s 2025 Client Service All-Star list. This recognition celebrates attorneys who consistently deliver the highest tier of client service.
Lawdragon named Mintz Member Vanessa Yen to its 2025 list of "The Inaugural 500 Leading Global IP Lawyers." Those honored “contribute to one of the most robust sectors of law practice, one which boasts remarkable expertise at many of the nation’s leading firms.”
Mintz’s Intellectual Property (IP) Practice earned national recognition in the 2025 edition of IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners. The guide recognized Mintz with four firm-wide rankings and 15 individual attorney recommendations, including a gold ranking for Michael T. Renaud, who leads Mintz’s IP practice.
